Swims | □

D

Dedicated to JessGirl93 because like has anyone actually read the Bad Boy series? hello????? It's amazing!!!

January 2012 (Six months before the London Olympics i.e Past)

Something had changed that night at the Ritz. Malia suddenly felt a freeness in her actions which she had never felt in school. Declan stopped glaring at her in the halls and began dropping shy smiles in her direction every so often. In turn, her grades soared as there was no one trying to sabotage her notes or ruin her papers or locker. Since her grades soared, Ateifeh was prouder than ever and all the positive energy was affecting Malia's pool performance as well. She was swimming faster and building stamina. Agents kept calling and business deals kept rolling around. The money was flowing in fast which meant that Malia's parents became even more prominent on the social scale. Momentarily, everyone forgot about regressing to the mean.

On the other side, Declan was beyond confused. He had never felt the need to make sure Malia was okay. If he saw her stumble in the hall or every get cut off in class, he wanted to punch whoever was causing her even the slightest discomfort. Ahmed, the ever so perceptive, picked up on his new habit really fast.

"You know, she stumbled into him. No need to look at him as if he killed your best friend." Ahmed casually commented one afternoon as the boys sat inside, away from the cold weather.

Across them, Malia apologized to the sophomore she had bumped into and held his elbows to steady him. Declan visibly stiffened. "I don't know what you're talking about." He finally mumbled.

"I call bullshit. You keep staring at her and it's getting a little out of hand Dec." Ahmed took a big bite out of his apple and watched Declan. Malia had finally noticed them staring at her and she lifted a hand in wave at them both. Declan nodded at her and smiled and Ahmed waved back. "Wanna join us?"

Declan groaned and flopped his head down onto the table. As much as he had begun to enjoy Malia's presence, he was not ready to sit with her in public or to take such drastic. To his relief, Malia shook her head in refusal and motioned for swimming practise. Ahmed gave her thumbs up and turned back towards Declan.

"Aren't you and her a thing?"

"I knew you weren't listening to me..." Ahmed threw his hands up in the in frustration. "WE mutually decided that we both wanted different things."

"So either she broke it off with you or you pulled the 'I'm going to university soon and can't manage distance.'" Declan finally sat up in his seat and looked at Ahmed. "You don't look too upset so I'm going to go with the second one."

"No you asshole. It was mutual. She's into someone else." Ahmed looked at him for a second too long but Declan didn't notice. He was too busy feeling strangely angry towards the other boy that Malia had feelings for.

*      *     *

Later that day, Declan took a seat next to Malia in their Physics lab. He still remembered their evening at the Ritz and he could still feeling the desperation from that night. Even if he had been uncharacteristically raw, he had humanity and knew that he should make good on his promise. 

He turned to Malia with a dazzling smile.

"This isn't your seat." Malia stated calmly, ignoring the stares the few people in class were giving them. It was no secret how much Declan had made Malia's life a living hell. To see them sitting together and acting civil would probably make the school newspaper.

"I got us partnered up." Declan held up a signed form triumphantly and grinned at her. "Did you know that I had to fill a form? Like, it's changing partners and not signing the Treaty of Versailles!" Declan rolled his eyes and folded up the paper.